Merced College hires new basketball coach after Huddleston named Fresno State GM
Amaurys Fermin has been hired as the men’s basketball coach at Merced College, replacing, Allen Huddleston, who was hired as the first-ever general manager of the Fresno State men’s basketball program in March.
Fermin comes to Merced College with nine years of coaching experience on the junior college level, including head coaching stops at Barstow Community College and Porterville College and also serving as an associate head coach at Allan Hancock College.
“I’m excited and extremely grateful for the opportunity,” said Fermin, who played basketball at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. “Merced College has such a rich history of basketball and a great culture. The community is so welcoming.”
The Blue Devils were 53-58 during Huddleston’s four-year tenure as head coach.
Huddleston, who starred at Merced High and played at Fresno State, heads back to the Bulldogs program to help rejuvenate the program after a 6-26 season in head coach Vance Walberg’s first season.
Huddleston’s responsibilities as general manager will include overseeing roster management, player development, and program operations, while working closely with Walberg, according to Yahoo Sports.
Huddleston isn’t the only former Bulldogs returning to the program. Former Fresno State and NBA player Tyler Johnson is joining Walberg’s staff as an assistant coach.
Fermin’s vision for Blue Devils program
As a former junior college player, Fermin said he understands the value and opportunity the pathway can give athletes to four-year schools.
“I’m a junior college product,” Fermin said. “I’ve had a lot of success in bringing guys to the junior college system as a coach in the last nine years, matriculating them to the four-year level and they’ve had a lot of success.”
Fermin played at Missouri State University-West Plains and then Hagerstown Community College in Maryland before playing at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Fermin also had an opportunity to play internationally alongside current NBA players Karl Anthony Towns and Al Horford for the Domincan Republican National Team under John Calipari, winning a gold medal in the 2012 CentroBasket Championships. Fermin played professionally in Greece and Finland.
“He has a good plan, he has a lot of connections in the area, he’s been in our conference before and had success and you can tell he has a lot of passion for what he does,” said Bob Casey, Merced College associate dean and athletics director. “A lot of those things really stood out during the interview process.”
Fermin said he puts a heavy emphasis on defense and wants to play an up-tempo style.
Porterville reached two consecutive playoff appearances and an overall record of 37–21 under Fermin.
Fermin said he believes coaching basketball helps him build character in his players. He helps them learn how to respond when things don’t go their way. He helps them build communication and leadership skills and learn about commitment.
“I believe these are life skills that lead to being successful outside of basketball,” Fermin said. “Using basketball as a tool to gain relationships and also build a legacy for themselves and obviously their families.”
Fermin has a master’s degree in exercise science from Pennsylvania Western University and will officially start with summer classes at Merced College on June 1.
“What drew me to Merced College was the strong sense of community and the potential to build a winning culture rooted in integrity, discipline, and hard work,” Fermin said. “I’m committed to developing a program that our students, alumni, and city can be proud of. The foundation is here, and I can’t wait to get started.”
